Continuous-action synchronizer



f R. ESNAULT-PELTERHE CONTINUOUS CTION SYNCHRONIZER Aim 5, ma.

Filed July l2. 1921 5 sheets-sheet 1 www@ 5 sneetsfsneeiI 2 www@ w wu .H A

flll. I I I l I l l 1 l l I l I l e l |L R. /EsNAULT-PELTERHE CONTINUOUS ACTION SYNCHRONIZER June 5, H9233.

Filed July 12 slime 5,."11923- www@ R. ESNAQLTPELTERIE CONTINUOUS ACTION SYNCHRONIZER Filed July l2. 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 u /W f Jun@ 5, 11923.

R'. ESNAULTPELTERIE CONTINUOUS ACTION SYNGHRONIZER Flg July 12 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 june 5, 1923.

15,457,968 R. EsNAULT-PELTERIE CONTINUOUS ACTION SYNQHHONI ZEE Filed July l2 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented June 5, 1923..

Uhlllllqt@ STATES ROBERT EsNULT-PELTERIE, 0F PARIS, FRANCE.

CONTINUOUS-ACTXON SYNCHRONIZER.

Application filed July 12,

To all w hom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, Bonnn'r ESNAULT- PnLTnRm,citizen of the Republic of France, residing at 4-8 Boulevard Lannes, Paris, Seine, in the Republic of France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Continuous-Action Synchronizers, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention has for its object to provide means for synchronizing the moving parts of direct-acting fluid pressure motors or pumps. The invention'isv particularly designed. for that type of direct-action engine as described and `illustrated in the specifications of English Patents Nos. 118,091 and 124A18. In .such engines the moving parts transmit their energy directly to the fluid to he acted upon, each part moving under the action of a force such as is generated through the explosion ot a combustible mixture, or by any other means.

lt is necessary that in these engines the moving parts shall have a synchronous movement and particularly in the most simple case where there are only two parts having` a constantly inverse synchronous movement.

The present synchronizer is described for the case of two moving parts of equal masses moving constantly at inverse speeds, practically nearly equal. rlhe person skilled in the art will at once conceive, by the application of the theorem of the quantities ot movement, the modifications ot detail necessary to the case in which the two moving parts would have diiierent masses and strokes.

In the simple case taken as an example, as well as in the others, the material realization of the apparatus can only be an approximate image of its theoretical conception and the action of the forces (friction and others) in particular could not be avoided which may not be equal in both directions. It follows therefore that the centre of gravity of the whole of the movable parts belonging to the same pair departs slightly from its normal mean position which it ought theoretically to maintain.

The object of the present synchronizer is to restore constantly towards its mean position the said common centre of gravity which it departs therefrom and that during the entire stroke or travelv of the moving 1921. Serial No. 484,266.

parts, it does not employ any device for i 'transmitting the useful power ,of the motor or pump, and this point is particularly important.

The description about to be given with reference to the accompanying drawing, given by way of example, will render the manner in which the invention is carried out properly understood.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a synchronizer constructed according to a first mode of carrying out the invention, and having racks and springs of a powerful kind.

Figure 2 is a detail of one of these parts.

Figure 3 is the detail of another part.

Figures 4 and 5 represent the disconnectino4 devices for starting.

Figure 6 represents a synchronizer constructed according to a second mode of carrying out the invention, and comprising hydraulic pumps and liquid springs.

Figure 7 is a constructional modification.

Figure 8 is a complete view of the syn` chroniZer shown in Figure 6.

Figure 9 represents an auxiliary pump.

Figures 10, 11 and 12 show, in elevation, plan and transverse section respectively, a practical mode of constructing the disconnecting device.

Figure 13 is a similar view to Figure 12, showing the position occupied by the disconnecting blade aiter it has been pushed into its operative position.

ln the simplest method of carrying out the invention (that illustrated in Figure 1), each oit the moving parts carries a rack, as for efiample a which drives the piston by theiinger a1, and that which drives the cylinder by the linger 1. In Figure 1 the outer guides of the racks have been omitted for sake of clearness in the drawing. v

These two racks parallel to the direction of movement are turned tace to face and gear with one or more pinions c, c1. This pinion or these .pinions are carried each by a shaift d1 (see Figure 2) which is not rigidly connected to the fixed frame of the motor or pump and this po-int is particularly pointed out as being very important. The said shafts Z1 are each carried by a member d, d (see Figures 1 and 2) Awhich is adapted t0 slide parallel with the direction of the movement, but which is retarded in its movement by suitable springs @,'e vwhich tend always los to bring the members d, d back into their normal position land-gthus`c mstitute the active part oi' the synchronizer.

. The members el, which in this example are" sitions with respect to their normal noint of crossing. ln `other words, they tend constantly to bring back the common centre ofv gravity of the two moving` parts into its normal position when it'departs therefrom.

fjlt is necessary that the motor thus arrangedjmay :be able to be started, for example according to a device similar to that described inthe specification ot a aplicants copending application for patent erial No. 212,856, that isto say that -`it shall be possible to cause by external means several al.- ternate successive movements of the moving` parts jin order to lill the explosion chambers with fresh gases, and then to produce a spark at the moment of compression. in one of the cham-bers, while leaving'the moving parts free at the same instant in order to permi-t them to obey the explosion. To this end the rack oit' one ot the moving parts, a torenample, khas `a notch 7L cut therein (see Fig ures l. and 3), adapted tobe engaged bya hook formed on one endet a rod rlhis rod is reciprocated byoperating a crank m through the interpositionvot a' connecting` rod y'll This method of operating will be understood by a simple inspection of Figure l and the slightv flexibility of the springs c renders the same possible without the stroke of the two" moving parts being too different. ,y In order to produce the filling strokes, it isnecessary that the hook z' and the connect ing rod j be `maintained in their operative position andfor this `purpose the connecting rod has a ygroove Z in the interior of which slides a finger a carried by a member o which itself can slide in a direction at right angles to that of the alternate movement ot the connecting rod j his member 0 is constantly rsubjected to anfupwardlylifting force'such as that exert-y eid by a spring r which tends, in the position shown in the drawing, to lift this member and also the' connecting rod j thereby causing'the hook c' to disengage and emerge from thel nteh'h'. On the other hand however,

this "member o is maintained in its lower lpo-l sitionby a hook y? constantly thrust in the v` `iesired direction by aspring p1 (see Figures 11'41" and 10, 11l l2) so that in. this operative position that is in the position shown in Figure l, the hook i is in engagement with and therefore drives the rack ai i l In order that disconnection is produced at one .end ot the stroke and von the same side, the connecting rod j carries laterally an extensiong inthe interior foi which is an adjustable screw s which, in its movement due to the crank fm, comes quite near to the upper extension oi the hook p without how ever touching it (Figure li). i

When it isl desired to produce disconnection, a blade `lever t is thrust in the' direction of the arrow (see Figures l and which thus ybecomes placed in `iront oi the upper end or the hook p (Figure 5). rlhis blade t can `be advantageously operated `by a crank 251 against the. oppositely directed action ot a spring t2 (see `Figures 10 to 13). -When the screws again reaches the end oi its ,travelto vthe right, it strikes this time against the 'blade t, which is ot suiicient y thickness to permit a thrusting back of the hook p, r clear of the memberl 0 thereby permitting the rod to be moved by the Q spring r which lifts the same abruptly thus causing the hook z' to rise and emerge from the notch h and disconnect the movable parts.`

At themoment when the hook z' is lifted clear of the notchL 7L', the member o which is electrically connected toearth by the spring r', ytouches by its yend 01 the spring wz and thus earths one of the 4poles of the two primary batteries or accumulator-s i1- A? which are mounted in shunt. This contact constitutes a safety contact which prevents all possibility of ignition during starting.

The lever kor rod j continuing to rise` under the action of the member o and ofthe spring 7', then strikes with its/ upper surface a rod a which is normally thrust downwards Vby a spring o electrically connected to earth. The head al of the rod uwhich rests on the insulated contact or blade w,

separates itself therefrom and, as in thedisl connecting position, the rack L is on the right, its boss m is situated at this moment under that oi' the interruptor y/l, which is thus opened. lt follows from'this that the sudden opening produced between al 4and w breaksk the primary circuit of the coil B1 vand produces the 'irst ignition.

v The roda continuingzits upward .movement under the yaction of the 'arm j .and off the spring r, 'comes into contact with the spring w1 andthus closes the earth contact ofthe circuit lbreaker y2, allowing the saine left, when it strikes against the upper surface of the rack a and connection is only possible by turning the crank m until the hook z' drops into the notch 7i, or the hook z' drops into the gap on the right or" the right hand end of the rack a, the connecting rod being free to descend and the member 0 engages with the hook j?.

lt is necessary that in this position and without turning` the crank m the hook z' may be able to place itself in the notch 7i. For this purpose the said hook is mounted in a flexible manner on the back of the connectingrod (see Figure 3) and when this latter returns towards the leit by a rectilinear movement by sliding over the finger p of the member o new engaged, the hook z' mounts the ramp a2 of the rack a, assuming` the dotted position of 7Figure 3 by reason of the flexibility of itsl portion il as well, as of the spring 2., then the said spring 2 vigorously brings back the hook e' into the slot It as soon as they tall opposite each other and the mechanism is ready for another start.

The synchronizer may be carried out, as

has been said by means of pistons and liquid springs. ln such a case, each ot the moving parts carries a pair of oppositely situated pistons a3 a# 723 b4 (see'Fignre 6) the two on the same side opening into the same chamber iull of liquid v3 o4. Vthen the pistons a3 at move in one direction, they also compel, by the forcing back of the V liquid in one oi' the chambers, the pistons b3 b4 to move in the other direction and on the other hand if the volume of the two chambers o3 et is sufficient, the compressibility of the liquid plays the same part as the elasticity of the springs e e in the rst case. rfliers is therefore no need of any fresh explanation ot the action of synchronization which is identical with that ot the preceding inode oi' carrying out the invention.

'ln this hydraulic system however, it is necessary to see that the joints oiz the pis tons (not shown in order to simplify Figures 6, 7 and 9) shall be absolutely tight and that it is even inevitable that those ot one oi the two chambers may be less tight than those of the other. The result is that in proportion to the working' oi the motor, one of the two chambers o3 o4 empties itsel 't slightly and that the whole oi' the two movable masses is able to move slightly on this side. This is precisely what it. is nece."- sarv to avoid.

For this purpose, a device is provided which forces back automatically the liquid to the side where it is lacking' and does so whatever be the maximum stroke oi the moving parts at the moment when this corrective action becomes necessary.

lt is necessary therefore tiret ci all to range a liquid pump which only utilizes, in order to act, the central part of the stroke of one of the movable parts in such a way that it acts itself if the total stroke is at this moment very small and which stores up the liquid under pressure either under an air bell or in a space suliiciently great to enable the elesticity oi the liquid to replace that or the air in the bell. Such a pump will be described hereinafter.

ln order to carry out the distribution of the liquid on the desired side, on each of the pistons b3 Zit :for example, of one of the moving parts (preferably that which controls the pump just mentioned), a circular neck c3 c4 (see Figure 6) forming a valve is arranged in such a manner that it leaves a passage for the liquid during a very short time likewise distributed on either side from the instant in which the pistons e3 a4 pass at the middle of their stroke and at the moment likewise or at the end7 of the forcing` of the auxiliary pump.

Pipes cl3 (Z4 then convey this liquid into cavities c3 ct which are made in the fixed frame ,t of the synchronizer: the pistons (L3 et each have laterally a longitudinal groove g3 g4 and a circular narrow groove n3 n4 which in the mean position of the piston a3 allseXactly opposite the face of the orifice of the pipes s 4 each communicating with each of the chambers v3 '04. It therefore the pair or pistons a3 at is exactly in the middle of its stroke at the same instant the pair 3 b4, as it should be normallyv` the liquid under pressure can flow through the cavities or chambers g3 g4 in the pistons a3 at the fixed chambers 7c3 let and then escape to the outside through the pipes h3 h4. f on the contrary this part c3 at is situated 'tor example too much to the right at the moment in which b3 Zi" uncovers the chambers c3 c4 that is to say there is a loss oi" liquid in the chamber o3, the pipes c3, g3 oi' the piston t3 which in this case is more to the ri ,ajht than it is represented, the passage (Z3, the chamber c3 of the piston 725 and the tube ,7'3 cause the chamber cg'to communicate with the liquid under pressure by the pipe while the chamber o4' on the contrary communicates with the outside by the passage t the pipes @t g4 of the piston at whichis situated in this case more to the right than in the drawingr, the chamber 7c3 and the pipe itt. The result is that the chamber o3 which is deficient in. liquidA admits a small quantity thereof while the other .otwhich contained it in excess, allows an equal amount to escape.

lt is possible to carry out a similar system by seating` the pistons inside each other, as is shown in Figure 7 (the letters on this figure correspond to those oit' Figure (i) and it is superfluous to repeat on this subject the explanations which have just been llOO To start this arrangement a box (see Figure 8) carries internally two racks f shown dotted, one of whichl a can be ,con-

trolled by the Ilongitudinally movable rod j operated by the connecting rod jl and the crank m. y

rlhe other rack which lis underneath the rack a and ltherefore cannot be seen in rthisigure is drivenfby a pinion, the end ci' the fixed shaft of which can be seen at c5. The whole of the arrangement, raclr and pinion, is quite similar to that which is quite visible in Figurel (except the ixity of the shaft of the pinion) but vonly serves here tor starting and in no way for synchronization.

yTo this end, the box 05 is pivoted to ashaftva5 around which it can rotate in order to take up Vfor example the vposition-'paru tially represented in dotted lines in Figure 8, Aand the shackle yf allows .the rack a to follow thesame movement. The box 05 can thus accomplish-a very rapid ,exhaust under the action of the spring r when it is quitted yby the hook 20.rv

This takes place when the end of the lever tv is interposed in front of the adjustable screw s which is carried by the rack a and which at the end of its stroke,comes very near to the hook 'p without however touching it.

` .t is useless `to'repeat all the series oi.- electrical contacts which take place when disconnection is effected. rlhe letters are the same as those of Figure 1 and thus allow or the finding of all the peculiarities of these electrical contacts in the description which has been given above.

For reconnection, it suffices to press upon the stud e; the lingers al, 61 may `'however fail to engage the notches all, but the ,outer edges 0'1": these notches are externally slightly tapered as at al? as shown in Figure 8, and by the double movement of the crank mi, the lingers al, b1 which are each carried by la spring a5, b5 respectively, engage the said tapered portions and consequently engage their notches after movement ot the crank m.

The pump intended to supply the oil lior compensating the losses is represented by way of example in the form of a particular construction (see Figure 9).

A group oi pistons, tor example the group b3 b4 carries towards-its middle a member in the form oit a lozenge a6 which, when these pistons b3 b4 return towards `their central position, engages between two rollers c6 c and separates them. These rollers move the two bent levers d6 d6 pivoted at the iixed points e6 e and operating the rocker bar f". This latter-pushes back thepiston and compresses the spring h6 thus driving the liquid through the force valve 6. f

lt should be noted that by this arrangement the Jforcing back of the liquid is completely terminated in both directions at the precise moment in which the group of pistons b3 b4 passes through its central position. When it passes beyond it thev spring lr brings back the whole system into its orig-v by way or example are in no way limitative and that modificationsmay be made therein without departing 'from the scope oi the invention.

The` synchron-izer which forms the `subject matter oi' this invention, is particularly applicable, as well as its system ot starting, to the direct transmission motors Adescribed by ,the applicant in his application for pat- ,i

ent under Serial No. 242,856, and Serial No.

277,115 but it is .obvious that it is likewise applicable to all motors, machines or engines the working of which may depend upon a similar mechanical problem.

Furthermore, the arrangement for startfing described in the specification of Serial No. 242,856, andwhich has already been mentioned above, might likewise be applied by means of certain slight constructive modiications, to the starting of motors, v(or-other machines) provided with the present synchronizer apart from its starter.

What l claim vand'desire to secure by Leitters Patent of the United States is 1. A continuous action synchronizer comprising two members adapted to move in opposite directions and means interposed between said members ror constantly drawing the mean centre of gravity of the two members towards and into a normal position. f

2. A continuous action synchronizer comprising two members adapted to .reciprocate in opposite directions, means ltor starting the reciprocation of said members means associated with said starting means for disconnecting said starting means at -a desired moment and meansy interposed betweenl said members for constantly drawing the mean centre ofgravity' .of the twomembers towards and into a normal position.

8. The combination of two-elements adapti ed to reciprocate in opposite directions and a device for synchronizing said reciprocating movement, said synchronizing device comprising members rigidly connected to said elements to reciprocate therewith and having means associatedwith said members lasagnes for preventing the mean centre of gravity of said members from deviating from a normal position.

t. ln a machine of the type referred to a device for synchronizing two movable parts comprising members rigidly connected to and movable with said parts, means for starting the reciprocation of said members, means associated with said starting means yfor disconnecting saidstarting mea-ns at a desired moment and means interposed between said members for constantly drawing the mean centre of gravity of the two members towards and into a normal position.

5. In a motor of the type referred to a device for synchronizing two movable parts, comprising members rigidly connected to and movable with said parts, means for starting the reciprocation of said members, means for disconnecting said starting means at a desired moment, means associated with said disconnecting means for preventing all possibility of ignition during starting and means interposed between said members for constantly drawing the mean centre of gravity of the two members towards and into a normal position.

6. In a machine of the type referred to, a continuous action synchronizer comprising two members adapted to lmove in opposite directions and a member slidably mounted between said members, said slidably mounted member carrying an element frictionally engaging each of said members and fingers which engage between springs mounted in seatino's rigidly connected to a stationary part of said machine.

7. ln a machine of the type referred to, a synchronizing device comprising two members each having a toothed surface facing the other and adapted to move in opposite directions. a member slidably mounted be` tween said members, said slidably mounted member carrying one or more pinions which engage said toothed surfaces and having laterally protruding fingers which engage between helical springs mounted in seatings rigidly connected to a stationary part of said machine.

8. In a machine of the type referred to, a synchronizing device comprising two members each having a toothed surface facing the other and adapted to be reciprocated at the same speed but in opposite directions, a plurality of members slidably mounted between said iirst named members, said slidably mounted members each carrying one or more pinions which engage said toothed surfaces and having laterally protruding fingers which engage between helical springs mounted in seatings rigidly connected to a stationary part of the said machine.

ln testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of a witness.

ROBERT ESNAULT-PELTERIE.

Witness RAYMOND ECKERT. 

